breed
to produce (offspring); procreate; engender.
to produce by mating; propagate sexually; reproduce: Ten mice were bred in the laboratory.
Horticulture.
to cause to reproduce by controlled pollination.
to improve by controlled pollination and selection.
to raise (cattle, sheep, etc.): He breeds longhorns on the ranch.
to cause or be the source of; engender; give rise to: Dirt breeds disease. Stagnant water breeds mosquitoes.
to develop by training or education; bring up; rear: He was born and bred a gentleman.
Energy. to produce more fissile nuclear fuel than is consumed in a reactor.
to impregnate; mate: Breed a strong mare with a fast stallion and hope for a Derby winner.
to produce offspring: Many animals breed in the spring.
to be engendered or produced; grow; develop: Bacteria will not breed in alcohol.
to cause the birth of young, as in raising stock.
to be pregnant.
Genetics. a relatively homogenous group of animals within a species, developed and maintained by humans.
lineage; stock; strain: She comes from a fine breed of people.
sort; kind; group: Scholars are a quiet breed.
Disparaging and Offensive. half-breed (def. 1).
Origin of breed
1Other words for breed
Other words from breed
- breed·a·ble, adjective
- o·ver·breed, verb (used with object), o·ver·bred, o·ver·breed·ing.
- re·breed, verb, re·bred, re·breed·ing.
- subbreed, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for breed
/ (briːd) /
to bear (offspring)
(tr) to bring up; raise
to produce or cause to produce by mating; propagate
to produce and maintain new or improved strains of (domestic animals and plants)
to produce or be produced; generate: to breed trouble; violence breeds in densely populated areas
a group of organisms within a species, esp a group of domestic animals, originated and maintained by man and having a clearly defined set of characteristics
a lineage or race: a breed of Europeans
a kind, sort, or group: a special breed of hatred
Origin of breed
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for breed
[ brēd ]
To produce or reproduce by giving birth or hatching.
To raise animals or plants, often to produce new or improved types.
A group of organisms having common ancestors and sharing certain traits that are not shared with other members of the same species. Breeds are usually produced by mating selected parents.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with breed
see familiarity breeds contempt.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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